Torkham border crossing between Pakistan, Afghanistan reopens after 27 days

The movement of people between Pakistan and Afghanistan via the Torkham border crossing was abruptly suspended on February 27 after differences between the security forces of Pakistan and Afghanistan over construction activities on both sides of the border.

The situation further turned worse after eight people, including six troops, were injured as forces of Pakistan and Afghanistan fired at each other. Several houses, some offices of clearing agents and a mosque were hit by artillery shells and cross-border firing continued for three days.

Since then, elders on both sides of the border have held talks to end the stalemate. Around 5,000 commercial trucks had been stuck on both sides, causing loss of millions of dollars to traders on both sides, Dawn reported, citing the vice president of the Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ziaul Haq Sarhadi.

Pakistani jirga head Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi said the decision to reopen the border was taken at a flag meeting held at Torkham on the Afghan side on Wednesday. He said the border has now opened for cargo vehicles and will open for pedestrians and patients on Friday after the Pakistani customs infrastructure, which was damaged due to firing from the Afghan side, is repaired.

In addition, an immediate ceasefire has been agreed upon until April 15. Kazmi said that Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to stop building the checkposts. During the flag meeting, Nangarhar Deputy Governor Molvi Azizullah and Commissioner Molvi Hikmatullah represented the Afghan side.

Kazmi said, "Pakistani members of the jirga had pressed for a halt to the controversial constructions on the Afghan side." On March 17, a joint jirga, including elders and traders, brokered a deal that included the reopening of the crossing, a ceasefire, and a halt to the development of check posts on the Afghan side near the border.

During the weekly press briefing on March 13, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said that the Afghan side had conducted illegal and unilateral construction activity within the Pakistani territory at two points along the Pakistan border, Dawn reported.

Meanwhile, the Taliban-appointed officials said they wanted to construct check posts on their side. The Afghan officials claimed that Pakistan had been involved in the illegal development of towers.

Pakistani officials have told the Afghan side that the towers are being constructed in the border terminal to facilitate traders and patients. Earlier, two meetings of Pakistani and Afghan officials and a previous jirga meeting were unable to resolve the issue. (ANI)